Kuwait has restricted the recruitment of domestic workers to 10 approved countries while banning hiring from 27 others under new regulations issued by the Interior Ministry.

The updated directive, reported by local media, was introduced based on recommendations from several government bodies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Public Authority for Manpower.

Under the new rules, domestic workers can be recruited from South Africa, Benin, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Nepal. Recruitment from Senegal is permitted for male workers only.

Authorities said recruitment procedures will be processed through governorates, and the circular has already been circulated to residency affairs departments and service centres.

The list of banned countries includes 27 nations across Asia and Africa, among them Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Togo, Malawi, Chad, Djibouti, Niger, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Angola, as well as Madagascar and Bhutan.

Officials said the restrictions are part of efforts to regulate the domestic labour sector and strengthen oversight through updated administrative controls.